Decisions
by m klindt
Summary: Napoleon must decide who needs him the most.  The last "Lexi" story before MFU TV movie


Decisions

By

M. Klindt

I don't own the MFU characters, but like to use them with the ones I've created. Thank you for reading my stories. This is part of my "Lexi" series.

"Go," Illya angrily said through clinched teeth, knowing that he had to let his partner leave UNCLE.

"Illya…" Napoleon started to say and stepped toward his upset partner.

"No!" Illya put his hand up to effectively stop his friend. "It's the right decision. Don't make me throw you out of here. She needs you."

Napoleon nodded, pushed Illya's hands away, and grasped his upper arms in as close to a hug that he could give his life-long brother. He held onto Illya for a moment. He knew what leaving had meant to all the plans they had made once he was going to retire from Section Two. Now, all that they had dreamed of with their girlfriends was gone.

No one had thought that Caitlin would be diagnosed with cancer and time with her was running out. Napoleon had to make a choice. Be with the person who had waited for him for many years while he'd put UNCLE above everything else or put her on the back burner yet again and ignore her needs until it was too late.

Napoleon could understand why Illya was angry. He wasn't angry with him, but with the choice he had to make. What was surprising was how well Waverly took it when he went to resign.

Illya's anger came from Napoleon's ability to choose one person over the duty he had to the Command. No matter how he tried, Illya couldn't totally give up his loyalty to UNCLE despite all the pain and suffering he'd received.

It had been a rough year for them both. Sure, they were winning the battle with THRUSH, but at what cost? The world around them was changing and many countries were losing their faith in UNCLE.

This unrest made Napoleon's choice to leave a little bit easier, but it came with its own set of problems. He would have to sever all contacts for at least five of years to make a clean break and finish the process of selective deprogramming. Limited deprogramming, because he needed the skills he'd learned to protect himself and those around him.

What was the biggest problem, was Illya and their partnership, hell their friendship. Lately, they had been more at odds with each other while the Vietnam War raged on and political alliances were stretched even more.

Now, with Napoleon gone, Illya was CEA and had to go searching to another partner until he finished his last few years in Section Two. He couldn't use his very first partner from his youth, his lover, Lexi. She was no longer fit for Section Two because of a nasty injury she'd gotten from her last assignment. Luckily, she was still able to work in the labs, but she isn't the same. She would never be the same.

Napoleon was shocked as he walked down the dull, gray, metal halls for the last time, noting how things had changed; some quickly and some slowly, all at the same time. He no longer felt that his life and heart was here at UNCLE headquarters or that they couldn't live without him. There were no fanfare or goodbye parties, because of how quickly he had leave.

After pushing the wall closed by the changing room hook, Napoleon pulled the curtain shut one last time, shook Del's hand to thank him, and walked out the door; hearing the bell ring one last time.

Looking up, Napoleon saw a lovely vision of a woman waiting by an expensive car with a driver in the front seat. Just by looking, you couldn't see that there was anything wrong with this beautiful creature. Caitlin stood waiting for him with a bottle of Champaign in her hands, smiling brightly.

"Now, darling," she said with a wide grin. "I don't want you around if you're going to act like a sad sack. I'm going to beat this and you'll be back soon. All I need is to have someone to keep me laughing and now I finally get to enjoy some time with the man I love. I've another surprise for you."

"What?" Napoleon asked and couldn't help but smile at her. Maybe she was saving him from leaving UNCLE on bad terms and he could go back in the future if he wanted.

"Not here," she hugged him, brushed his black hair back into place, and then pulled him towards the back seat of the car. "Oh, Lexi says she'll miss you, but you'll see her later before we go."

"Go?" Napoleon asked when he opened the car door for her.

"I've booked a trip for us. It's for me to know where and for you to just relax and enjoy the peace. It's our time now." Caitlin said, hopping into the back seat.

Napoleon snorted out a laugh and looked back to Del Floria's shop front. Standing there on the steps, quietly watching them, was Illya. Closed and serious at first, he then smiled as brightly as Caitlin did, and gave him a quick jaunty salute.

With a small nod and a mouthed "thank you", Napoleon climbed into the car and closed the door.


End file.
